Last Sunday, in this space, I urged the residents of Russellville to get involved in the process by attending both the Planning Commission and the City Council meetings to voice their opinions of the proposed zoning change request that would allowed a Walmart Neighborhood Market to be build in western Russellville.

Residents turned out in large numbers at both meetings to voice their opinions of the plan. The Planning Commission listened to more than two hours of testimony and voted 5-3 to recommend to the council that the request be approved.

The people of Russellville did their part by telling their representatives what they wanted. The advisory board did its part by making a recommendation to the council. Then the council passed the buck to the new City Council that will take office in January and didn’t make a decision on the plan by tabling the agenda item until the January council meeting.

How sad is that? Actually, it is pretty pathetic when elected leaders who are very aware of what their constituents are saying simply turn their backs on an issue and say the next group can deal with it.

This current group of aldermen have heard all there is to hear on the topic of the proposed Walmart Neighborhood Market. They know the company’s plan; they understand what the people in western Russellville who oppose the plan think; they know what the people who want the store to come to the city believe; and they understand the law and zoning procedures after hearing from city staff on topic.

I’m told some on the current council might have believed a new perspective was needed on the topic, and it would be best to let the next council tackle the issue. I’m also told some council members didn’t think it was fair that outgoing members voted on such an important plan.

Both of those points carry no weight with me. I believe the task of approving this zoning change request landed at the feet of this council because it happened on their watch — it was their responsibility to tackle this task themselves. I also say an elected official’s last vote is just as important as their first vote. If council members voted on plans for the past two years, they should have cast a vote on Thursday night on this matter.

I did note the council held an entire meeting Thursday night and voted on other issues brought before them by the city’s staff, so the notion wasn’t that this group shouldn’t fulfill their elected responsibility on all topics they considered, but apparently, just on this controversial issue.

Since there is generally so little involvement in the governmental process by the city’s residents here, I’ve asked people in Russellville in print and in person if it is because they are satisfied with our elected officials, or rather, it is because the people simply don’t care. I had come to the conclusion that it is because people just don’t care.

However, in light of the council’s inaction this week, I wonder if City Council members are sending the people of Russellville the message that hearing their voices means little to them because they will refuse to step up to the plate when it is time to take real and meaningful action.

I say the residents of this city deserve better representation than they received Thursday night.

What say you, Russellville? Send a letter to the editor about what you think of the council’s inaction and we’ll share it with the City Council and our readers.